


Dreams And What Become Of Them

by supershadsy



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward Spoilers, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-20
Updated: 2020-03-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:40:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23221864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supershadsy/pseuds/supershadsy
Summary: Feilea confides to Haurchefant about some events of her childhood, including the strange, aether induced dreams she's had since she was small.Contains spoilers for Heavensward.
Relationships: Haurchefant Greystone & Warrior of Light
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7





	Dreams And What Become Of Them

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place at the very beginning of the events of Heavensward, but also spans to the end of Heavensward and contains major story spoilers. **Please read at your own discretion!**

_ (Summer had never felt so warm and bright over Dalmasca. Feilea ran to catch up with her sisters out of the forest to the sandy edge of the lake. They were on the far side of a dock, crowded around the very edge.  _

_ “What’s that? Down at the bottom?” she heard her sister ask, pale blond ears turning carefully.  _

_ She panted as she stumbled onto the docks, a couple of her other sisters stopping her to a halt. “Careful, careful,” Lilja advised, holding her shoulder. The dock rocked precariously, and was starting to sink due to all the weight on its edge. “Don’t be foolish, you can’t see the bottom, even from here!”  _

_ Feilea tiptoed between legs to get a clear view. The lake was deep, but instead of a blue black with only the sun to reveal its endless scope, the depths seem to flicker and shimmer with something else.  _

_ “I saw some Imperials out here a few days ago,” another viera girl claimed. “They were coming up river with big ships full of crystals.”  _

_ “What?! Do you think they dumped crystals in the lake?!” _

_ “Why would they do something stupid like that? You’ll never get them back that way.” _

_ Feilea’s reflection rippled in the water. Even she could see the glimmering blue deep down, while the water sloshed against the damp wood of the dock and her bare feet. It was blissfully cool in the path of the direct sun that burned her back.  _

_ “Lilja, don’t push me!”  _

_ “There are too many of us here--!”  _

_ “Then jump off!”  _

_ “No! Amma says we shouldn’t!”  _

_ “When did you talk to Amma? Don’t  _ push me!” 

_ The dock rocked even more, and Feilea received a swift kick to her back. “Aa-aah!” she exclaimed, waving her arms to try and keep her balance. “I’m falling, I’m falling!”  _

_ Lilja whirled around and gasped. “Fei! Get her, she can’t swim!”  _

_ But it was too late. Feilea lunged face first into the water with a tremendous splash. She tried grasping for the docks, for arms reached out, but they were all just out of reach. Not to mention the water seemed to drag her down… _

_ down… _

_ down… _

_ It was blissfully cool, yet dreadfully quiet. She opened her eyes, expecting to see nothing but black, but found herself surrounded by shimmering, pale blue crystals. She tried to reach out to one, but it was far from her grasp. The sun grew dimmer from the surface, its beams rippling away… _

_ Feilea plugged her nose and flapped her arms.  _ Someone has to help me--! 

_ But the sun receded further, the water grew colder, and her chest grew tighter.  _ Just a little longer,  _ she thought,  _ just a little longer…

Or...is this…

_ Below her, there was another current, a river flowing in the lake. It glowed a pale green and sparkled greater than the crystals, with a current greater than she had ever seen. It streaked white and green, and it seemed to whisper through the water. _

_ Even as her vision darkened, she could still see it, brighter than anything.) _

* * *

Feilea woke up with a start, gasping for her breath. The air around her was sharp, dry, and cold, reminding her that she wasn’t on the sandy shores of Dalmasca, but in a hard, thin cot in Camp Dragonhead. Her whole body relaxed and slumped, and she held her hand to her chest as she continued to breathe deep.  _ I haven’t had dreams about that in a long time,  _ she thought.  _ I’m still so surprised I can remember it that vividly after so many years…has it been almost thirty?  
_

“Lady Feilea?” a voice asked.

She turned toward the wooden door. A flicker of candle light shined through the cracks, and the voice itself was familiar. She smirked to herself. “You may come in, although it is rude to spy on a lady while she’s sleeping.” 

Haurchefant let himself in, holding his stout candle in both hands. Feilea had never seen him out of uniform, and tonight was no exception--although she couldn’t possibly guess the hour given the moonless black from the window. “I heard you gasp in your sleep, and I wanted to make sure you were well,” he said, pulling up a stool by the bedside. “My intentions are noble, I assure you.” 

He gave Feilea a winning smile, and she believed it. None were more knightly than Ser Haurchefant Greystone, even as he had worked her to the bone before she moved onto duties broader than Camp Dragonhead. Despite the days of cold, aching muscles, she did appreciate that he treated her no different than the other Ishgardians--not as an outsider, not as a novelty...but as a friend. She would always be grateful for that.

She ran her fingers through her hair and sighed. “I was having a nightmare...or rather, a memory of years past,” she said. Haurchefant’s clear eyes were curious, and he had the type of face that was tempting to confess to. “I have spent many years in Eorzea, but I am not a native, as I’m sure you know.” 

He nodded. “I could gather that, yes.” 

She closed her eyes. “When I was a little girl, I nearly drowned in a lake full of crystals placed by Garleans. This was some years before the occupation, but they were certainly biding their time, getting ready.” Her eyes fluttered open as she looked out the window. “I was so close...I swear I  _ saw  _ the Lifestream.”

Feilea glanced at her captive audience. His eyes were wide, but betrayed no sense of disbelief. “I never told my sisters that. They wouldn’t have believed me anyway. But…” She paused. “Since then, I’ve been able to…” 

She trailed off, staring down at her scratchy, linen sheets.  _ He could never believe that. I had a hard enough time convincing Rildi that my dreams  _ meant  _ something. Not until after the Calamity. Still… _

_ (“You  _ saw  _ her?” Urianger said, his jaw dropped. “Surely it must hath been a dream, and nothing more.”  _

_ “It  _ was  _ a dream, but I did see  _ her,”  _ Feilea clarified. “She wanted me to give you all her best, and not to lose your way, even if she’s gone.”  _

_ Urianger dipped his head toward the floor, hands clasped firmly together. “That’s...that’s impossible...but how?”) _

Haurchefant was watching her. “Go on,” he said softly.

“I have been...able to see the dead, before they pass,” she blurted, clenching her hands. “Something...being that close to the Lifestream, with all those crystals, had to have done something to my aether sensitivity. I…

“I remember the first time it happened.

***

_ The ballroom was hazy and lit with golden lights, swept with crimson curtain and marble floors. Feilea looked down at herself--she was wearing a delightfully poofy gown, complete with gauzy gloves and a corsage of white lilies. Everyone around her was so tall, barely giving any room for her to scurry away from footfalls.  _

_ The music swelled, and she was scooped up. “Hey, I gotcha,” her rescue assured.  _

_ Despite how fuzzy everything else was, she could see his face crystal clear. A blond viera jack, with tall ears and a sunworn face. His smile was as bright as his sparkling green eyes. He wore a suit jacket that was pristine and pressed, as if he had received it from the taylor moments before.  _

_ “It’s good to see you before I go,” he said to her. “It’s a shame…” _

_ Feilea had never seen this man before in her life. Yet somehow, he felt warm and familiar, and she placed her small, chubby arms on his shoulders and giggled.  _

_ “Grow up big and strong, okay?” he said, beginning to waltz to the middle of the ballroom floor. “Keep an eye on your sisters, and they’ll keep an eye on you. And your mother, too. If it weren’t for Amma, I would have been there…”  _

_ He cupped her face and kissed her forehead. “Be a good girl, Feilea,” he muttered, then produced a small necklace from his coat pocket. It was adorned in simple, silver flowers. “Ask Mama for this necklace. It’s for you.”  _

_ Feilea nodded as she took it. Then, he grinned and lifted her above his shoulders, spinning her around… _

***

“When I awoke the next morning, my mother was weeping at her rocking chair,” she finished quietly. “My father had died, scouting against Garleans closer to Garlemald. His body was brought back to my village.” 

“The same man you saw?” Haurchefant clarified.

“The exact same.”

Feilea reached over to the nightstand and produced a silver chain, with several flower charms adorning it. The detail had completely worn, but the shape was still there. “I still wear this, although I should give it to my own daughter,” she mused with a chuckle. “It’s too small for my neck now.” 

Haurchefant leaned over with his candle, examining it closer. “It has seen some wear, as precious things are ought to do,” he said with a smile. “I can have one of our goldsmiths polish it up for you.”

“No, no need,” Feilea insisted. “It will only get dirty again.” 

“I see.” Haurchefant set his candle down on the nightstand and rested his hands on each of his knees. “That is rather fascinating...I assume this is a somewhat regular occurrence for you.” 

“Quite,” she replied. “It was to the brink of nightmarish when the Calamity struck. I was living in Ul’dah at the time when I fled, and I knew so many people there. It is hard enough to handle when there is one soul vying for your attention, but so many…”

She caught Haurchefant’s eye, and the urge to dismiss herself became overwhelming. “This must all seem strange to you,” she said with a shake of her head. “I don’t tell this to many, for fear of seeming delusional, but now--”

“Nonsense, my dear friend.” Haurchefant gestured wide before taking Feilea’s hand into his own. “There have been stranger things in this world, even beyond the deeds and circumstances that have brought you here. I don’t doubt you for a moment.” 

Feilea couldn’t help but relax and smile.  _ Ever so earnest, my dear ser.  _ “Thank you, Haurchefant,” she said quietly. “You are by far one of the most pleasant confidants.” 

He raised her hand to his lips and kissed the top of it. He opened his eyes as he placed it back on her lap, and for just a moment, her heart skipped a beat.  _ Oh, a true knight indeed.  _

“We’ll get everything sorted out,” he proclaimed, rising to his feet. “No more of those dreams for you, of drowning or otherwise. Tomorrow, you and Alphinaud are Ishgard bound, as honored guests of House Fortemps!” 

“Shh!” Feilea hushed with a giggle. “You’ll wake the others.” She knew Alphinaud was in the room beside her, and she wondered briefly if he had even attempted to get any sleep.  _ He needs it most of all.  _

He put a finger to his lips and bowed. “Very well, I shall take my leave.” He took his candle and smiled warmly. “Sleep well, my friend.” 

“Same to you.” She tried to match his warmth, but it felt like a pale imitation in light of his own. 

He left her in the dark, and to her own thoughts as she slipped back down beneath the covers.  _ It’s been a while since I’ve talked about those dreams with anyone, or at least the origin. Urianger was one, because he  _ had  _ to know, and even when I spoke to Minfilia last, I did not explain how I had this ability. Given that my tendency for magicks is nil, she could have chalked it up to the Echo… _

_ But… _

Feilea rolled over.  _ Given that I haven’t seen those lavish ballrooms in my sleep, I have hope for my missing friends. Thancred, Y’shtola, and Minfilia too...they are all alive. They are still out there, and we will find them. The less I see of those gilded halls, the better.  _

_ No more soul seeing.  _

“First is first,” she whispered to herself, “we have to stop being enemies of the state…” 

She smirked in dry humor before drifting to sleep.

* * *

_ (Feilea opened her eyes. “No,” she whispered, her eyes already wet with tears. She knew this was to come, but she hoped it wasn’t true. She hoped Ishgard’s best could have preformed a miracle… _

_ But she was standing in a castle ballroom--no, it was church halls, it was the Congregation, completely cleared and warmed with chandeliers. Halone’s statue stood on the far side…and she was dressed in a deep crimson gown, cut and trimmed to her figure, with long gloves to match.  _

_ “No,” she said again. “No, not again…”  _

_ A finger tapped her shoulder. Sure enough, there was Haurchefant, donning the formal dress of House Fortemps. In an outfit so similar, she could see the small resemblence of his father in his face, in the creases of his eyes, and in his smile. There was a sadness underlying, even as he took her hand.  _

_ “Do not weep, my dear friend,” he said. “Have you forgotten my words so soon?”  _

_ Feilea shook her head. “H-Haurchefant…” _

_ Gingerly, he wrapped one arm around her waist and lifted the other he held. “I never dared to dream that I would meet you one last time this way,” he said. “But...I am honored to do so.”  _

_ Feilea nodded, tears staining her carefully powdered face, then sniffed hard through her nose, and forced a smile. “It’s a blessing and a curse,” she managed to say. _

_ “Come then,” he said, the sadness slowly draining from his face. “Let us have this one last dance, here in the halls of the Fury.”  _

_ He paused, only to kiss her forehead, then let the music lead both of them into a spirited dance.)  _


End file.
